Australians mourn their Bali dead

Australia came to a standstill yesterday as a minute's silence was observed across all states during a national day of mourning for victims of the Bali bombings.

Thousands, many draped in Australian flags, turned up to a memorial service in Sydney Domain where veteran Australian singer John Farnham performed Amazing Grace.

An emotional service was held at the Coogee Oval to honour six members of the Coogee Dolphins rugby league club who were killed in the blasts.

Prime Minister John Howard attended a church service in Canberra.

In a video message to mourners gathered at other services Mr Howard vowed that his Government would hunt down those responsible for the attack.

Thousands of people wearing a sprig of wattle, Australia's national flower, poured into the Domain in Sydney for the "Australians Together" ceremony - the biggest gathering to mark the day of mourning.

Victims' relatives and prominent entertainers and sportspeople addressed the crowd, which included Indonesians and members of the Muslim community.

Surfers on the Gold Coast in Queensland took to the water for a ceremony, while others mourned in football clubs and in private homes around the nation.

Prime Minister Helen Clark sent a message of condolence to Australia.

"This tragedy has hit many countries hard, but it is clear that the greatest numbers of foreign victims are from Australia," Helen Clark said.

The Bali bombings were a "callously conceived and ruthlessly executed attack".

"Today we remember those of all nations who were killed, those who are still missing, and we stand in solidarity with those who have been injured and traumatised by this event."

New Zealand and Australia had shared traumatic experiences during wars and now shared another sad period in their joint history.

"The close bonds between us will provide us with the strength and determination to see through this period together," Helen Clark said.

In Auckland yesterday 21 people attended a service organised by the Indonesia Human Rights Committee to honour victims.

Speakers remembered foreigners killed in the blasts, Balinese who died, and all victims of violence in Indonesia.

Sony Ambudi, the chairman of the Indonesian Muslim Society of New Zealand, said pride in Indonesia was diminishing out of concern that the Indonesian Government was not doing its best for local victims of the attack.

Bali messages and latest information on New Zealanders
New Zealanders who were in Bali, and their families and friends around the world, can exchange news via our Bali Messages page. The page also contains lists of New Zealanders who were in Bali and their condition.

The atrocity by numbers:


* 48 of the 187 victims so far recovered have been identified.

* The confirmed dead include 12 Australians, nine Indonesians, eight Britons, three Singaporeans and one each from the United States, New Zealand, Holland, France, Germany and Korea.

* A$2 million ($2.31 million) is the reward that has been offered by Australia to bring the bombers to justice.

* Seven countries including New Zealand have investigators in Bali working on aspects of the bomb blasts.

* 326 people have been treated for wounds at 13 Balinese hospitals.

* 115 victims have been evacuated to Australia.

* 2000 is the approximate number of students who have gone through the Islamic schools of Abu Bakar Bashir, reputed leader of the Indonesian terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah.

* US$74,000 is the amount Omar al-Faruq, an alleged al Qaeda agent in US custody, claims he transferred to Bashir to buy explosives.




Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade

* Latest travel advisory for Indonesia

* Bali Bombing Hotline: 0800 432 111

Full coverage: Bali bomb blast

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